I'll be honest: I'm getting tired of opening these things with the same "It was ugly" phrase, but here we are. The Jacksonville Jaguars walked out of Las Vegas with their fifth win of the season—this one a nail-biting, frustrating overtime 30-29 win that looked rough throughout. We saw a lot of the same ups and downs that have defined the season: foolish penalties, head-scratching throws by quarterback Trevor Lawrence, and dropped balls.
But somehow, they pulled it off. Despite the frustrations, there was really more to love with this win than there was to hate. Here are five winners (that's right: I picked five this time) and one loser in the Jaguars' (5-3) victory over the Raiders (2-6).
Jaguars winner No. 1: Kicker Cam Little
We won't dwell too long here. If you're reading this, then you've probably been following along with Jaguars kicker Cam Little's recent struggles. He's missed a few field goals he should have made (though a couple of those were 50+ yarders and not exactly gimmes) and even missed an extra point attempt.
But after the team expressed nothing but trust in the weeks since those misses, Little came through with an NFL record 68-yard field goal. It was the first points Jacksonville scored, and it lit a fire under the team as they went into the half.
CAM LITTLE JUST KICKED THE LONGEST FG IN NFL HISTORY! 68 YARDS! pic.twitter.com/WGZb6O9xhX
— NFL (@NFL) November 2, 2025
Jaguars winner No. 2: Running back Travis Etienne Jr.
His numbers don't tell the full story. Sure, Travis Etienne picked up an impressive 115 scrimmage yards, but it took over 20 rushes and three receptions. His average yards per carry was a middle-of-the-road 3.8. Not impressive. What was impressive was the grit and power he ran with. Of the 115 total yards, 98 of them came after contact—that's more than his rushing total. Etienne embodied the grit and guts that have at times defined this Jaguars team.
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Jaguars winner No. 3: Wide receiver Parker Washington
Those of us paying attention have long known the wide receiver Parker Washington needs to get the ball more. With rookie wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter and second-year veteran wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. in the lineup, Washington was unfortunately not getting his due. But Hunter was out against the Raiders, Thomas was in and out with an ankle injury, and wide receiver Dyami Brown was out with a concussion.
Washington stepped up to the plate. He pulled in eight receptions on nine targets for 90 yards. With the big names out, No. 11 filled their shoes with the presence Jaguars' fans have come to expect from the third-year veteran.
Jaguars winner No. 4: The defense
Okay, okay...hear me out. Yes, they gave up 29 points and let Raiders quarterback Geno Smith carve them up for 284 yards and four scores. But they all but shut down the ground game, limiting rookie running back Ashton Jeanty to 42 yards.
Plus, they stepped up when they needed to, snagging their first takeaway in three games on a diving, beautiful interception by cornerback Montaric Brown. Defensive end Josh Hines-Allen had himself a game, with 1.5 sacks, a tackle for a loss, and two quarterback hits.
And don't forget defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton's pass deflection that stopped the Raiders' overtime two-point attempt to win the game. As Hines-Allen recalls it (1:28 mark): "I was rushing...I heard [the deflection]. I heard the doonk, and I turned around, the balls on the ground.
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Jaguars winner No. 5: The backups
We already discussed the injuries going into the game and the loss of even more front-line players after. Wide receiver Tim Jones was activated off the practice squad going into the game, and his lone reception was a 15-yarder that led to a first down on a second-and-7. Rookie LeQuint Allen Jr. had a big 10-yard rush on a third-and-5, and wide receiver Austin Trammel's 54-yard kickoff return set up the Jaguars with a short field in overtime.
Jaguars loser No. 1: The offensive penalties
It's getting old, isn't it? The offense had five avoidable penalties in the first half for a total of 30 yards. Not crazy—and they cleaned it up in the second half—but of those penalties, two were false starts and two were illegal shifts. Lack of discipline, lack of focus. It's no surprise that they scored 27 of their 30 points in the second half, where the offense didn't commit any penalties.
Just imagine what this team can do if they clean up the silliness?
Final thoughts
It was an ugly win (there I go again), but it was a win, and that's what matters. Despite the rough-around-the-edges style of play, there was still more to like than not.
Next up? Houston. Let's sweep them, Duval.